SLSN Summer Session
Grading and Reporting
June 17 – 19, 2008
Welcome!
SLSN is sponsored by KDE and PIMSER
Who’s in the room?
Please stand for the role that best
represents your current
position:
• Classroom teachers
• Resource teachers (i.e.,
academic performance
specialist, science coaches,
curriculum coaches, etc.)
• Building level administrators
• District level administrators
• Other (e.g., KDE, university)
2
Facilitators
• Kim Zeidler
– Director of P-12 Science and Math
Outreach Unit of PIMSER at UK
– Kzeidle@uky.edu
– 859-257-4836
• Diane Johnson
– Instructional Supervisor, Lewis
County Schools
– diane.johnson@lewis.kyschools.us
– 606-796-2811
3
Goals of SLSN
• Articulate the “big ideas” in science,
together with teacher and student
understandings (content, process, relevance)
that underlie them.
– Deconstruction of STM standards, developed
assessment items, identified effective science
instruction and rigor, operationalized an
instructional model, practiced Writing in
Science, identified brain-based strategies
4
Goals of SLSN
• Develop a broader understanding of
assessment and how to use a variety of
assessment strategies in support of student
learning.
– Developed and critiqued assessment items, examined
performance assessments, personal communication, and
rubrics, utilized formative assessment probes,
distinguished ‘describe’ from ‘explain,’ began to
examine grading and reporting
5
Goals of SLSN
• Develop and act on a personal vision of
leadership for sustainable improvement in
their school or district.
– Examined ways to develop leadership for role,
examined 21st Century Skills, used Outlearning the
Wolves to consider plc’s, shared ways participants have
used information and materials from SLSN
6
Goals for SLSN Summer Session
• Provide a grounding in the issues
pertaining to grading and reporting practices
and provide some possible considerations
and solutions for them
• Consider possibilities for communicating
what students KUD more accurately
• Consider next steps for
classroom/school/district
7
Agenda for 3 Days
Tuesday a.m.
• Surface issues related to
grading and reporting
Tuesday p.m. and
Wednesday
• 8 Guidelines from How to
Grade for Student
Learning
• Considerations and
possible solutions
Thursday
• Examples in practice –
Myron Dueck
• Next steps for
classroom/school/district
8
Logistics
• Restrooms
• Lunch: 12:00 – 1:00
• Time: 9:00 – 4:00
9
Group Norms
• Start and end on time
• Put cell phones on silent
• Be respectful of all
comments
• Everyone participates
• Exercise the rule of “two
feet”
• Come prepared for the
meeting
10
11
Underpinning Issues
• Fairness
• Motivation
• Objectivity and professional
judgment
12
• “The grading system here is all over the
place. You would get a better shot at
fairness going to the Olympics – in figure
skating!”
– Teacher at Winslow High School on Boston
Public, Winter, 2002
13
14
• “It is too numbing to try to figure out the grade;
too exhausting. What did become clear was that,
given the Carter (HS) grading plan, it was possible
to give Gary Edwards just about any grade. He
could have passed. He could have flunked. Just
about the only question that wasn’t asked during
the hearing was whether Gary had actually learned
any Algebra.”
– Bissinger, H.G., Friday Night Lights, Da Capo,
Cambridge, MA, 1990
15
• “Most kids never talk about it, but a lot of the time
bad grades make them feel dumb, and almost all
of the time it’s not true. And good grades make
other kids think they’re better, and that’s not true
either. And then all the kids start competing and
comparing. The smart kids feel smarter and get all
stuck up, and the regular kids feel stupid and like
there’s no way to catch up. And the people who
are supposed to help kids, the parents and the
teachers, they don’t. They just add more pressure
and keep making up more and more tests.”
– Nora Rowley, 5th grader’s view of grades in Clements,
A., The Report Card, Simon and Schuster, NY, 2004,
pg. 72-73.
16
• “Why….would anyone want to change
current grading practices?
• The answer is quite simple: grades are so
imprecise that they are almost
meaningless.”
– Marzano, R.J. Transforming Classroom Grading,
ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 2000, pg. 1
17
“The grading box is alive and well, and
in some schools and classrooms, it is
impenetrable. Fair does not mean equal;
yet, when it comes to grading, we insist
that it does.”
Patterson, William “Breaking Out of Our Boxes,” Kappan,
April 2003, 572
18
• “The power of grades to impact a students’
future life creates a responsibility for giving
grades in a fair and impartial way.”
– Johnson, D.W. and R.T. Johnson, Meaningful Assessment: A
Manageable and Cooperative Process, Allyn and Bacon, Boston,
MA, 2002, pg. 249
19
• “We have had a virtual revolution in
assessment practices in the past decade.
• Yet, by all accounts, grading practices are
only slowly evolving.”
– Trumbull, E., “Why Do We Grade and Should We?” in Trumbull
and Farr (Eds.) Grading and Reporting Student Progress in an Age
of Standards, Christopher Gordon, 2000, pg. 29
20
Why Standards-Based Grading
and Reporting?
1)
2)
3)
4)
Mandate
Supports Learning
Improves Communication
Consistency/Fairness
21
The Essential Questions
• What is our purpose for grading?
• What factors should we include in the
grade?
• How do we combine those factors to give
the truest picture possible of student
achievement?
22
Enduring Understandings
• There are no right grades only
justifiable grades.
• Nothing really changes till the
grade book and the report card
both change.
23
Guiding Questions
• What is the primary purpose for grading in
my classroom/school/district?
• What is the secondary purpose for grading
in my classroom/school/district?
24
Purposes of Grading
1. Communicate the achievement status of students
to their parents and others
2. Provide information for student self-evaluation
3. Select, identify, or group students for certain
educational programs
4. Provide incentives for students to learn
5. Document students’ performance to evaluate the
effectiveness of instructional programs
6. Provide evidence of students’ lack of effort or
inappropriate responsibility
Guskey – synthesis from the literature
25
Beyond A, B, C Grading Conference, 2006
• “the primary purpose for grading…should be to communicate
with students and parents about their achievement of learning
goals…
• Secondary purposes for grading include providing teachers
with information for instructional planning… and providing
teachers, administrators, parents, and students with
information for …placement of students. (5)
• It is very difficult for one measure to serve different purposes
equally well. (21)
• The main difficulty driving grading issues both historically
and currently is that grades are pressed to serve a variety of
conflicting purposes.” (31)
Brookhart, S., Grading. (2004)
26
“the primary purpose of . . . grades . . . (is) to
communicate student achievement
to students, parents, school administrators, postsecondary institutions and employers.”
Bailey, J. and McTighe, J., “Reporting Achievement at the Secondary School
Level: What and How?”, in Thomas R. Guskey, (Ed.) Communicating Student
Learning: ASCD Yearbook 1996, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 120
27
Policy
+
Principles
+
Practicality
=
Implementation
28
Guiding Question
• What are additional issues related to
grading and reporting?
29
Perspectives on Grading
Vehicle for addressing some myths and criticisms about grading
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Grading is not essential for learning.
Grading is complicated.
Grading is subjective and emotional.
Grading is inescapable.
Grading has a limited research base.
Grading has not single best practice.
Grading that is faulty damages students – and
teachers.
30
Perspectives on Grading
• Select one of the 7 perspectives that
you agree with, disagree with, or are
not sure about.
• Record why you agree, disagree, or
are not sure on the organizer.
• Record some issues that might
surface related to this perspective.
• Read the corresponding information
in HTGFSL found on pages 17-24.
• Add to the issues and jot down some
key points to remember.
31
Perspectives on Grading
• Find the chart with the
perspective you selected.
• Select a recorder – the person
with the most experience
teaching.
• Select a reporter – the person
with the least experience
teaching.
• Share whether you agreed,
disagreed, or weren’t sure about
the perspective selected.
• Share and chart issues and key
points.
32
Perspective #1
“Teachers don’t need grades or reporting
forms to teach well. Further, students don’t
need them to learn.”
Thomas R. Guskey,(Ed.) Communicating Student Learning: ASCD Yearbook
1996, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 14
33
Perspective #1
Checking is essential
Checking is DiagnosticTeacher as an Advocate
Grading is Evaluative Teacher as a Judge
Guskey, T.R. Using Assessments to Improve Student Learning,
Workshop Presentation
34
Perspective #3
“What critics of grading must understand
is that the symbol is not the problem; the
lack of stable and clear points of reference
in using symbols is the problem.”
Wiggins, G., “Honesty and Fairness: Toward Better Grading and
Reporting”, in Guskey, T. R.. (Ed.), Communicating Student Learning:
The ASCD Yearbook 1996, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 142
35
Perspective #3
“All scoring by human judges, including assigning
points and taking them off math homework is
subjective. The question is not whether it is
subjective, but whether it is defensible and
credible. The AP and IB programs (are) credible
and defensible, yet subjective. I wish we could
stop using that word as a pejorative! So-called
objective scoring is still subjective test writing.”
Grant Wiggins, January 19, 2000 answering a question on
chatserver.ascd.org
36
Perspective #4
“Grades or numbers, like all symbols,
offer efficient ways of summarizing.”
Wiggins, G., “Honesty and Fairness: Toward Better Grading and Reporting”,
in Guskey, T. R..(Ed.), Communicating Student Learning: ASCD Yearbook
1996, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 142
37
Perspective #4
“Trying to get rid of familiar letter grades . . .
gets the matter backwards while leading to
needless political battles. . . . Parents have
reason to be suspicious of educators who want to
. . . tinker with a 120 year old system that they
think they understand - even if we know that
traditional grades are often of questionable
worth.”
Wiggins, G., “Honesty and Fairness: Toward Better Grading and
Reporting”, in Guskey, T. R..(Ed.), Communicating Student Learning:
ASCD Yearbook 1996, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 142
38
Perspective #7
“. . . some teachers consider grades or reporting
forms their “weapon of last resort.” In their view,
students who do not comply with their requests
suffer the consequences of the greatest
punishment a teacher can bestow: a failing
grade. Such practices have no educational value
and, in the long run, adversely effect students,
teachers, and the relationship they share.”
Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning:
The 1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 18
39
Perspective #7
“No studies support
the use of low grades
or marks as
punishments. Instead
of prompting greater
effort, low grades
more often cause
students to withdraw
from learning.”
Guskey and Bailey, Developing Grading and
Reporting Systems for Student Learning,
Corwin Press, 2001, 34-35
40
• “Change is never easy. It’s especially difficult in
education because so much current practice is
based on tradition rather than compelling evidence
of effectiveness. We continue to use certain
practices not because we’ve thought about them
deliberately or evaluated them thoroughly, but,
rather, because it is easier to continue doing what
we have always done.”
– Guskey and Bailey, Developing Grading and Reporting Systems
for Student Learning, pg. 9
41
Current Practice
• Reflect on your (current) practice by comparing it
to one teacher’s narrative of her experience.
• Answer these questions:
– What, if anything, in this teacher’s description of her
grading practices matches your own?
– Conversely, what can you identify in your practice that
differs from what this teacher did?
• What grading issues arise from this narrative
and/or your reflection?
42
Chris Brown’s Science Class
• Examine the excerpt from Chris
Brown’s grade book.
• Note the information that is shown
below the grade book excerpt
regarding miscellaneous items,
absences, and the grading scale.
• Enter to the right of the chart the
letter grade each student would get
using the grading scale in use in
your school/district.
• Share with your tablemates. Were
there any differences?
43
Chris Brown’s Science Class
• Do the grades awarded fairly reflect the
results from which they were derived for
each student?
• If you answered “yes,” for which students?
Why?
• If you answered “no,” for which students?
Why?
• What grading issues arise from this case
study?
44
Your Own Grading Process
• It is the beginning of the
semester. You’re going to
send report cards home in
9 weeks. How do you get
there from here? What are
the steps in your personal
process? List them and
then mark each one to
indicate your level of
satisfaction with each:
+ = works fine
> = could be better
# = needs work or unsure
what to do.
• Compare your process
to the one outlined on
the handout, “Steps in
Report Card Grading.”
• Where does your
practice align?
• Where does it diverge?
45
Steps in Report Card Grading
1) Start with the learning targets. Create a
plan for what learning you will assess
for grading purposes during the quarter.
2) Make an assessment plan to lay out how
you will regularly find out what your
students are learning.
3) Create, choose, and/or modify
assessments.
4) Record information from assessments
as you give them.
5) Summarize the achievement
information into one score.
6) Turn the score into a grade.
46
Your Own Grading Process
• What grading issues arise from this
comparison?
47
Provocations
• What are the purposes of
grades?
• Would you give grades if
you didn’t have to?
• Is it acceptable for us to
disagree about what
makes up our grades?
• What does research say
about the benefits and
harms of grades? What
experiments do we need to
undertake to test our
assumptions?
48
Guiding Questions
• What is the primary purpose for grading in
my classroom/school/district?
• What is the secondary purpose for grading
in my classroom/school/district?
• What are additional issues related to
grading and reporting?
49
Grading Issues
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Basis for grades
Performance standards – how well
Ingredients- achievement, ability, effort, attitude/behavior
Sources of information – methods, purposes
How recent – all or some data
Number crunching
Assessment quality
Record keeping
Student understanding/involvement
50
Guidelines for Grading
1) Relate grading procedures
to the intended learning
goals, i.e., standards (PoS).
2) Use criterion-referenced
standards as reference
points to distribute grades.
3) Limit the valued attributes
included in the grades to
individual achievement.
4) Sample student
performance – don’t
include all scores in grades.
5) “Grade in pencil” – keep
records so they can be
updated easily.
6) “Crunch” numbers carefully
– if at all.
7) Use quality assessment(s)
and properly recorded
evidence of achievement.
8) Discuss and involve
students in assessments,
including grading
throughout the
teaching/learning process.
51
The Relationship Between Grading Issues and the Grading Guidelines
Grading Issue
Guideline #
Basis for grades
1
Performance Standards
2
Ingredients
3
Sources of Information
4
How recent?
5
Number Crunching
6
Quality
7
Record keeping
7
Student involvement
8
52
Standards-Based Grading Contrasted with
Traditional Grading
Guideline
Standards-Based
Traditional
1
Directly related to standards
2
Criterion-referenced standards Often norm-referenced or a mix of
criterion and norm referenced
Criteria unclear or assumed to be
Public criteria/targets
known
3
Achievement only
4
Usually related to assessment
methods
Individual
Uncertain mix of achievement,
attitude, effort and behavior
Often includes group marks
From summative assessments
only
From formative and summative
assessments
53
Standards-Based Grading Contrasted with
Traditional Grading
Guideline
Standards-Based
Traditional
5
More recent information
Everything marked is included
Reassessment without penalty Multiple assessments recorded as
average, not best
6
Limited and careful “number
crunching”
Use of median and mode
Many formulae and calculations
7
Derived from quality
assessments
Data recorded carefully
Huge variation in assessment
quality
Often only stored in teacher’s
head
8
All aspects discussed with,
and understood by students
Teacher decides and announces
Always use means (average)
54
Guideline #1
What Are Your Purposes for Grades?
• Think about the purposes behind the grades
you assign. What are your trying to
communicate through the use of report card
grades? To what extent are your learning
goals the basis for the grades you assign?
What in your grading practices are aligned
with the ideas presented for standards-based
grading? What, if anything, seems to be in
opposition?
55
Guideline #1
Traditional Guideline For Middle School Student Grading
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Evaluation Category
Quizzes/Tests/Exams
Written Assignments
Creative or explanatory paragraphs, essays,
notes, organizers, writing folios or portfolios
Oral Presentations or Demonstrations
Brief or more formal presentations or
demonstrations,role-playing, debates, skits etc.
Projects/Assignments
Research tasks, hands-on projects, video or
audio tape productions, analysis of issues etc.
Co-operative Group Learning
Evaluation of the process and skills learned as an
individual and as a group member
Independent Learning
Individual organizational skills, contributions to class
activities and discussions, homework, notebooks
Expected % Range
20-30%
15-25%
15-25%
10-20%
5 -15%
5 - 15%
70-130%
56
57
12
Guideline #1
58
13
59
14
15
60
Guideline #1
Stiggins, et al,
Classroom
Assessment
for Student
Learning, ATI,
Portland, OR,
2004, 289
61
16
Guideline #1
Stiggins, et al,
Classroom
Assessment
for Student
Learning, ATI,
Portland, OR,
2004, 289
17
62
Guideline #1
63
18
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64
Guideline #1
20
65
Guideline #1
• “The use of columns in a grade book to represent
standards, instead of assignments, tests, and
activities, is a major shift in thinking…Under this
system, when an assessment is designed, the
teacher must think in terms of the standards it is
intended to address. If a (test) is given that covers
three standards, then the teacher makes three
entries in the grade book for each student – one
entry for each standard – as opposed to one overall
entry for the entire (test).”
– Marzano, R., and J. Kendall, A Comprehensive Guide to
Developing Standards-based Districts, Schools, and Classrooms.
McREL, Aurora, CO, 1996, pg. 150.
66
Guideline #1
• “Systems that are aligned – curriculum,
teaching, and assessment – have a greater
chance of success for students.”
– Lappan, G., NCTM News Bulletin, October, 1998
67
Guideline #1
• “The principle limitation of any grading
system that requires the teacher to assign
one number or letter to represent . . .
learning is that one symbol can convey only
one meaning.
• One symbol cannot do justice to the
different degrees of learning a student
acquires across all learning outcomes.”
– Tombari and Borich, Authentic Assessment in the Classroom,
Prentice Hall, 1999, pg. 213.
68
Guideline #1
Guideline for Grading
• Relate grading procedures to the intended
learning goals, i.e., standards (PoS)
a) Use learning goals as basis for grade determination
b) Use assessment methods as the sub-set NOT the set.
Issue
Concern
Basis for Grades
Which groupings – stds, strands?
Traditional
Standards-based
Usually related to
assessment methods
Directly related to standards
69
Guideline #2a
• “Performance standards specify ‘how good
is good enough.’ They relate to issues of
assessment that gauge the degree to which
content standards have been attained . . .
They are indices of quality that specify how
adept or competent a student demonstration
should be.”
– Kendall, J. and R. Marzano, Content Knowledge: A Compendium
of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education, First Edition,
McREL, 1997, pgs. 16-17.
70
Guideline #2a
Performance Standards
How good is good enough?
A
B
C
D
F
Traditional School Approaches
90-100% - Outstanding
Excellent
80-89% - Above Average
Good
70-79% - Average
Satisfactory
60-69% - Below Average
Poor
<60% - Failing
Unacceptable
Standards-based Approaches
(Should be described by levels; may be linked to letter grades or %)
Distinguished
Proficient
Apprentice
Novice
Above standard
Meets standard
Below but approaching standard
Well below standard
71
Guideline #2a
Grading Scales
A
80-100 90-100
93-100
95-100
RL
Cassidy
95-100
B
70-79
80-89
85-92
85-94
88-94
C
60-69
70-79
78-84
75-84
81-87
D
50-59
60-69
70-77
65-74
75-80
F
< 50
< 60
< 70
< 65
< 75
Letter Ontario Ruth E
Rick W
Pam P
From the Internet – The School House Teachers’ Lounge
Quoted by Canady and Hotchkiss, Kappan, September,1989, pg. 69
Your
District
72
Guideline #2a
Grading Scales
• What is your reaction
to the wide variation
in grading scales?
• What is the range for
receiving an A? For
failing?
• What do these
variations mean?
73
Guideline #2a
Sample Descriptive Grading Criteria
Student s receiving a grade d emonst rate most of the characteristics most o f the time.
A
B
C
D
F



Exhib it s nov el and creative ways to show le arning
Enjoy s the chall enges and successfully completes open-ended tasks with high qua li ty
work
Test scores indicate a high le vel of und erstanding o f c oncepts and skills
Assignm ents are complete, high qua li ty, well organiz ed, and show a high l evel o f
commi tme nt
Alm ost all the learning goa ls are full y or consistently me t and extended





Exhib it s standard ways to show learning
Enjoy s open-ended tasks, but n eeds suppo rt in d ealing w it h ambigui ty
Test scores indicate a good g rasp of concepts and skill s
Assignm ents are generally complete, thorough, and o rganiz ed
Most of t he learning go als are fully o r consistently met





Needs so me encouragement to show le arning
Needs suppo rt to complete open-ended tasks
Test scores indicate satisfactory acquisition o f skil ls and concepts
Assignm ents are generally complete, but qualit y, tho roughn ess, and o rganization v ary
More than h alf of the learning go als are full y or consistently me t





Occasion ally shows le arning a fter consid erable encou rageme nt
Needs suppo rt to begin, let alon e complete, open-ended tasks
Test scores indicate weak acquisition o f skil ls and concepts
Assignm ents are varied in qua li ty, thoroughn ess, and o rganiza tion
Only a few of the learning go als are full y or consistently me t





Rarely sho ws learning
Unable to begin, le t alone comp le te, open-ended tasks
Test scores indicate very weak grasp of c oncepts and sk il ls
Assignm ents sho w poor qua li ty and are fre quen tly in complete
None or almost none of the learning go als are full y or consistently me t


22
How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards,
Skylight Professional Develop ment, Glenvie w, IL, 2002. 75
74
Guideline #2a
Pennsylvania Performance Standards
Advanced
Students achieving at the advanced level demonstrate superior academic performance. Adv anced work
indicates an in-depth unde rstanding o r exemplary display o f t he skills includ ed in th e Pennsy lvania Academic
Content Standards.
These Students:
 Demonstrate broad in-depth und erstanding o f c omple x con cepts and skill
 Make abstract, insightful, comple x conn ections among id eas beyond th e obvious
 Provide extensive evidence for infer ences and ju stifi cation o f solutions
 Demonstrate the abili ty to apply know le dge and sk il ls effec tively and indep enden tly by app lying
eff icient, sophisticated strategies to solve comple x problems
 Commun ic ate effe ctively and tho rough ly, w it h soph istication
Proficient
Students achieving at the profic ient level demonstrate satisfac tory academic performa nce. Profi cie nt work
indicates a soli d unde rstanding or d is play of the skil ls included in the Pennsylv ania Academic Cont ent
Standards. Th is is the accepted grade – level performance.
These Students:
 Can ex tend th eir unde rstanding by ma king me aningful, mu lt iple conn ections among i mportant
ideas or concepts and p rovid e suppo rting ev idence for inferences and justific ation o f solutions
 Apply concepts and sk ills to solve problems us ing appropria te strategies
 Commun ic ate effe ctively
Basic
Students achieving at the basic level demonstrate marginal a cademi c performance. Ba sic work indicates a
partia l und erstanding o r display o f t he skills includ ed in th e Pennsy lvania Academi c Content Standards.
Students achieving at this level are approaching acceptable performance but h ave no t achie ved it .
These students:
 Demonstrate partial unde rstanding o f basic concepts and sk ills
 Make simple or basic conn ections among id eas, providing li mit ed supporting evid ence for
inferences and so lutions
 Apply concepts and sk ills to routine problem- solving situations
 Commun ic ate in li mit ed fa shion
Below Basic
Students achieving at the below b asic le vel demonstrate un acceptable academic performa nce. Below basic
work indicates a need for additional instructional oppo rtunitie s to achieve even a basic und erstanding o r
display o f t he skills includ ed in th e Pennsy lvania Academic Content Standards.
These Students:
 Demonstrate minimal unde rstanding o f rudim entary con cepts and skill s
 Occasionally ma ke obvious conne ctions among ideas, providing m inimal evidence or suppo rt for
inferences and so lutions
 Have diffic ulty app lying ba sic know le dge and sk il ls
 Commun ic ate in an ineffe ctive ma nne r
O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Second Edition, Corwin, 2002, 81
23
75
Guideline #2a
Explanations on Markings
Standard Levels:
Advanced (4): (Teachers will u se “+” and “-“ to further define the level of
Explanations on Markings
Grades:
Outstanding (O): (Teachers will u se “+” and “-“ to further define the level of
performance within this range)
performance within this range)
The students consistently meets and at times exceeds (more depth/extension
with grade level work and/or performing at a high grade level) the standard as
it is described by the grade level key indicators. The student, with relative ease,
grasps, applies, and extends the key concepts, processes, and skill s for the
grade level. The student’s work is comparable to the student models and
rubrics that are labeled advanced (4)
Proficient (3): (Teachers will u se “+” and “-“ to further define the level of
performance within this range)
The student regularly meets the standard as it is described by the grade level
key indicators. The student demonstrates proficiency in the vast majority of
the grade level key indicators. The student, with limited errors, grasps and
applied the key concepts, processes, and skills for the grade level. The
student’s work is comparable to the student models and rubrics that are labeled
proficient (3).
Approaching (2): (Teachers will u se “+” and “-“ to further define the level of
performance within this range)
The student is beginning to, and occasionally does, meet the standard as it is
described by the grade level key indicators. The student is beginning to grasp
and apply t he key concepts, processes and skills for the grade level but
produces work that contains many errors. The student’s work is comparable to
the student models and rubrics that are labeled approaching (2).
Below (1): (Teachers will u se “+” and “-“ to further define the level of
performance within this range)
The student is not meeting the standard as it is described by the key indicators
for this grade level. The student is working on key indicators that are one or
more years below grade level. The student’s work is comparable to the student
models and rubrics that are labeled (1).
For Effort, Social Skills, Work Habits, and Science/Social Studies Grades –
and “O” indicates the student’s effort, social skill s, work habits, and/or
science/social studies performance consistently meet and at times exceed the
expectations for the grade level at which the student is performing
Good (G) : (Teachers will u se “+” and “-“ to further define the level of
performance within this range)
For Effort, Social Skills, Work Habits, and Science/Social Studies Grades – a
“G” indicates the student’s effort, social skills, work habits, and/or
science/social studies performance regularly meet the expectations for the
grade level at which the student is performing.
Satisfactory (S): (Teachers will u se “+” and “-“ to further define the level of
performance within this range)
For Effort, Social Skills, Work Habits, and Science/Social Studies Grades – a
“S” indicates the student’s effort, social skills, work habits, and/or
science/social studies performance usually meet the expectations for the grade
level at which the student is performing.
Needs Improvement (N): For Effort, Social Skills, Work Habits, and
Science/Social Studies Grades
For Effort, Social Skills, Work Habits, and Science/Social Studies Grades – a
“N” indicates the student’s effort, social skills, work habits, and/or
science/social studies performance do not meet the expectations for the grade
level at which the student is performing.
Additional Information
For more detail regarding the Standards, please refer to the Academic Standards
brochures for each grad e level. The brochures are available at your school office or
by connecting to the SJUSD Web Site at www.sanjuan.edu. (look under academic
standards. For specific, in-depth information, please refer to the K-6 Language Arts
and Mathema tics Standards. The standards can be obtained by contacting the Office
of the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Professional Development at 3738
Walnut Ave, Carmichael, CA 95609 , calling 971-7185
24
23
Source: San Juan School District, CA
76
Guideline #2a
For Classroom Assessment
Performance Standards
=
Performance Descriptors
(school, district or state
e.g., 4 3 2 1; D P A N)
Scoring Tools (rubrics, etc.)
+
Work Samples (exemplars)
+
Commentaries on the Work Samples
Adapted from New Standards Sampler, National Center on
Education and the Economy, www.ncee.org
77
Guideline #2a
Achievement
“the act of achieving or performing; an
obtaining by exertion; successful performance”
measured as an absolute,
e.g., “He/she … is 4 feet 6 inches tall”
…is reading at grade 2 level”
“achievement at…”
Sources: Dictionary, Grant Wiggins
78
Guideline #2a
Growth
“the process of growing; increase in size, number, frequency,
strength, etc.”
measured against where a child was,
e.g., “He/she…grew three inches since last measurement”
…has moved from grade 1 level in the last month”
“growth from…”
Sources: Dictionary, Grant Wiggins
79
80
Guideline #2a
Progress
“movement, as toward a goal, advance,”
Relative achievement measured against a goal, standard, future
result,
e.g., “He/she…to one inch above average height for age,”
…to two grade levels below expected level for
age”
“progress to…”
Invariably involves a professional judgment
Note – it is possible to make significant personal growth while
making limited progress at a (relatively) low level of
achievement
Sources: Dictionary, Grant Wiggins
81
Guideline #2b
• What do you think would happen if you did
an outstanding job, all of the students in
your class did an outstanding job, and all of
the students received a grade of 90% or
higher?
82
Guideline #2b
• “Grading on the curve makes learning a highly
competitive activity in which students compete
against one another for the few scarce rewards
(high grades) distributed by the teacher. Under
these conditions, students readily see that helping
others become successful threatens their own
chances for success. As a result, learning becomes
a game of winners and losers; and because the
number of rewards is kept arbitrarily small, most
students are forced to be losers.”
– Guskey, T. (Ed.), Communicating Student Learning: The 1996 ASCD
Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, pgs. 18-19.
83
Guideline #2
Guideline for Grading
2. Use criterion-referenced performance standards
as reference points to determine grades.
a. The meaning of grades (letters or numbers) should come from clear
descriptors of performance standards
b. “If they hit the goal, they get the grade!” – i.e., NO bell curve!
Issue
Concern
Reference Point
Performance standards – what?
How good is good enough? To curve or not to
curve?
Traditional
Standards-based
Norm referenced or
a mix of crit. and norm
Criteria unclear
or assumed to be known
Criterion-referenced standards
Public criteria/targets
84
Guideline #3a
• “…grades often reflect a combination of
achievement, progress, and other factors.
• …this tendency to collapse several
independent elements into a single grade
may blur their meaning.”
– Bailey, J. and J. McTighe, “Reporting Achievement at the
Secondary School Level: What and How?,” in T. Guskey, (Ed.),
Communicating Student Learning: ASCD Yearbook 1996, ASCD,
Alexandria, VA, 1996, pg. 121.
85
Guideline #3a
Sum total of everything students do in school/classroom
Select a representative sampling of what students do
Process
Assessment of students using observation over time
e.g. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
learning logs
journals
portfolios
teacher observations/anecdotal notes
Attitude/Learning Skills/Effort
enjoys learning
questions/investigates
class participation
works independently
completes assignments
completes research/projects
cooperates with others
respects others
resolves conflicts
attendance, punctuality
reflects and sets goals
Reporting Variables
(Desirable Behaviors)
Product
Assessment tasks
e.g. • performances
Assessment tasks,
•Product
presentations
Assessment
Tasks• tests/quizzes/examinations
e.g. • performances
presentations
• culminating demonstrations
e.g. • •performances
•• tests/quiz
presentations
•
culminating
demonstration
• tests/quizzes/examination
• culminating demonstration
ACHIEVEMENT
Report
Card
Grading Variables
O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Second Edition, Corwin, 2002, 42 (Standards)
86
25
Guideline #3a
“Reports on student progress and achievement
should contain . . . information that indicates
academic progress and achievement for each
course or subject area
separate from . . .
punctuality, attitude, behaviour, effort, attendance,
and work habits;”
Manitoba Education and Training, Reporting on Student Progress and Achievement: A Policy
Handbook for Teachers, Administrators and Parents. Winnipeg, 1997, 13
87
Guideline #3a
“By . . . offering separate
grades for different
aspects of performance,
educators can provide
better and far more
useful information (than
single grades that include
achievement and
behaviors).
Guskey and Bailey, Developing Grading and Reporting
Systems for Student Learning, Corwin, 2001, 82
88
Guideline 3a
“Excused and unexcused absences are not
relevant to an achievement grade.
There is no legitimate purpose for
distinguishing between excused and unexcused
absences.
For educational purposes, therefore, there need
only to be recorded absences.”
Gathercoal, F., Judicious Discipline,Caddo Gap Press, San Francisco, 1997, 151
89
Guideline #3a
Teacher: “Are you telling me that if a student has
been ill and another has been skipping,
that they both should be able to make
up the work missed?”
Gathercoal: “(Yes) both needed an educator when
they returned, perhaps the one who
skipped more than the other.”
Gathercoal, F., Judicious Discipline, Caddo Gap Press, San Francisco, 1997, 151
90
Guideline #3a
26
91
Guideline #3a
The Dilemma of Late Work
• Imagine that your seventh-grade daughter’s midterm
progress report in science says she is getting a C, yet the
only tests and assignments you have seen have had As or
Bs on them. Your daughter tells you she’s done all the
required work and can’t explain where the C came from.
• You meet with the teacher, who checks your daughter’s
records on the computer. The printout shows the
following list of entries leading to an average of 76%.
–
–
–
–
Unit 1 Test: 95%
“Effects of Pollution” Report: 85%
Unit 2 Test: 85%
“Biomes” Report: 40%
92
Guideline #3a
The Dilemma of Late Work
• The teacher tells you that your daughter’s last
report was one week late. Her policy is to subtract
10 points for each day an assignment is late, so
had your daughter’s “Biomes” report been on
time, she would have received a score of 90%.
But, you point out, your daughter seems to be
grasping the concepts very well. “Well, this is
how we figure grades,” the teacher replies.
93
Guideline #3a
The Dilemma of Late Work
• What does a C communicate to others?
• What problems does the practice of
reducing the grade for late work solve?
• What problems does it cause?
• What are the teacher’s options for dealing
with late work?
94
Guideline #3a
Getting Work in on Time
• Set clear and reasonable timelines with some
student input.
• Ensure that the expectations for the
task/assignment are clearly established and
understood.
• Support the students who will predictably struggle
with the task without intervention.
• Find out why other students’ work is late and
assist them.
Adapted from “Creating a Culture of Responsibility” by the
York Region District School Board, Ontario, Canada
95
Guideline #3a
Adapted from “Creating a Culture of Responsibility” by the York Region District
School Board, Ontario, Canada
Getting Work in on Time
• Establish the consequences for late work, such as:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Before/after school follow-up
Make-up responsibility within a supervised setting
Parent contact
Notation in the grade book for each assignment which is late
“grades” on learning skills/work habits section of the report card
Comments on report card that reflect chronic lateness
• Provide opportunity for students to extend timelines:
– Student must communicate with the teacher in advance of the due
date
– Student must choose situations carefully as this extension may
only be used once/twice per term/semester
• If all the above “fails” (i.e., work is still late/not done), use
small mark penalties/deductions which do not distort
96
achievement or motivation.
Guideline #3a
Letter to the Editor – Harrisburg, PA Patriot News
November 21, 2003
Recently it was “Dress like an Egyptian Day” at my school. If
we dressed like an Egyptian, we got extra credit. When we
didn’t (which the majority of the kids didn’t) our teacher got
disappointed at us, because we just ‘didn’t make the effort.’
…
One of the most frustrating things in my mind is that we get
graded on something that has no educational value. I would
very much like to discontinue these childish dress-up days.
JENNIFER STARSINIC
Hummelstown
97
Guideline #3a
“the most effective ways to change behaviors
are:
1. using noncoercion
2. prompting the person to self-assess, and
3. if authority is necessary have the student
own the consequence.
When a consequence is imposed the student
feels the victim. When the consequence is
elicited, the student owns it and grows from
the decision.”
Marvin Marshall, Promoting Responsibility Newsletter, Vol. 1,
No. 4, November 2001, 9
98
Guideline #3a
“There is no reward in punishment.”
Barth, R., Lessons Learned
99
Guideline #3a
Disaggregate Grades
• What are the independent variables in
student performance that need to be kept
separate in our feedback and grading – even
if we also have a formula for aggregating it
into a single grade?
• What are the pros and cons of separating
out achievement/work habits/process in
reporting, as described in the DVD clip?
100
Guideline #3b
• “Group grades are so blatantly
unfair that on this basis alone they
should never be used.”
– Kagan, S., “Group Grades Miss the Mark,” Educational
Leadership, May, 1995, pg. 69.
101
Guideline #3b
Kagan’s 7 Reasons for Opposing
Group Grades
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
No(t) fair
Debase report cards
Undermine motivation
Convey the wrong message
Violate individual accountability
Are responsible for resistance to cooperative
learning
7) May be challenged in court.
–Kagan, S., “Group Grades Miss the Mark,” Educational Leadership, May, 1995, pg. 69.
102
Guideline #3b
• “No student’s grade should
depend on the achievement (or
behavior) of other students.”
– Source: William Glasser
103
Guideline #3
Guideline for Grading
3. Limit the valued attributes included in the
grades to individual achievement.
a. Grades should be based on achievement, I.e., demonstrations of the
knowledge and skill components of the standards. Effort, participation,
attitude, and other behaviors should be reported separately.
b. Grades should be based on individual achievement.
Issue
Concern
Ingredients
Learning skills/work habits/effort
Late assignments/extra credit
Group grades/marks
Traditional
Uncertain mix of achievement, attitude, effort, and
behavior
Often includes group marks
Standards-based
Achievement only
Individual
104
105
Kinds of Assessment
• Diagnostic/Pre-assessment: takes
place prior to instruction; used to
identify student’s needs with
respect to learning targets
• Formative/On-going assessment:
provides direction for improvement
and/or adjustment to instruction for
a student/group of students/whole
class
• Summative/Final assessment:
provides information to be used in
making a judgment about a
student’s achievement at the end of
a sequence of instruction
106
Assessment Continuum
Feedback and Goal Setting
Pre-assessment
Formative
(Finding Out)
(Keeping Track &
Checking Up)
•Pre-test
•Graphing for Greatness
•Inventory
•KWL
•Checklist
•Observation
•Self-Evaluation
•Questioning
•Concept Map
•Conference
•Peer Evaluation
•Observation
•Questioning
•Exit Card
•Portfolio check
•Quiz
•Journal Entry
•Self Evaluation
•Concept Cartoons
•Probes
Summative
(Making Sure)
•Unit test
•Performance Task
•Product/Exhibit
•Demonstration
•Portfolio Review
Graded
Never graded
Rarely graded
107
Guideline #4
• “The ongoing interplay between assessment
and instruction, so common in the arts and
athletics, is also evident in classrooms using
practices such as ungraded quizzes and
practice tests, the writing process, formative
performance tasks, review of drafts and peer
response groups. The teachers in such
classrooms recognize that ongoing
assessments provide feedback that enhances
instruction and guides student revision.”
– McTighe, J., “What Happens Between Assessments,”
Educational Leadership, Dec 96 – Jan 97, pg. 11.
108
Guideline #4
• “The thrust of formative assessment is
toward improving learning and instruction.
Therefore, the information should not be
used for assigning “marks” as the
assessment often occurs before students
have had full opportunities to learn content
or develop skills.”
– Manitoba Education and Training, Reporting on Student Progress
and Achievement: A Policy Handbook for Teachers, Administrators
and Parents, Winnipeg, 1997, pg. 9
109
Guideline #4
Students should be assessed or checked on everything
(or almost everything) they do
BUT
Everything that is assessed and/or checked does not
need a score
AND
Every score should not be included in the grade.
110
Guideline #4
• Firm evidence shows that formative
assessment is an essential component of
classroom work and that its development
can raise standards of achievement. Mr.
Black and Mr. Wiliam point out: Indeed,
they know of no other way of raising
standards for which such a strong prima
facie case can be made.
– Black, P. and D. Wiliam, “Inside the Black Box,” Kappan,
October, 1998, pg. 139.
111
Guideline #4
“The research indicates that improving student
learning through assessment depends on five,
deceptively simple, key factors:
• The provision of effective feedback to students.
• The active involvement of students in their own learning.
• Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of
assessments.
• A recognition of the profound influence assessment has on
the motivation and self-esteem of students, both of which
are crucial influences on learning.
• The need for students to be able to assess themselves and
understand how to improve.”
–Black, P. and D. Wiliam, “Inside the Black Box,” Kappan, October, 1998, pg. 139.
112
Guideline 4
From a presentation by Dylan Wiliam - “Inside the Black Box”
Kinds of feedback: Israel (1)
• 264 low and high ability year 7 pupils in 12 classes in 4 schools;
analysis of 132 students at top and bottom of each class
• Same teaching, same aims, same teachers, same class work
• Three kinds of feedback: marks, comments, marks+comments
Feedback
marks
Gain
none
comments
both
30%
none
Attitude
top
+ve
bottom -ve
all
+ve
top
+ve
bottom -ve
[Butler(1988) Br. J. Educ. Psychol., 58 1-14]
113
Guideline 4
“Schools use grades because it’s one of those things
somebody once decided on and now everybody goes
along with it. I don’t know where it started, but I
know where it stops - in the real world. You don’t
see supervisors telling their employees, “Great job,
I’m going to give you an A.” Or, “You really
screwed up here; that’s a C-.”
No, in the real world, adults get real feedback
and indications of where they need improvement.”
Littky, D., with S. Grabelle, The Big Picture, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 2004
114
Guideline #4
Purposes of Homework
• PRACTICE – to reinforce learning and help
students master specific skills.
• PREPARATION – introduces material presented
in future lessons. These assignments aim to help
students learn new material when it is covered in
class.
• EXTENSION – asks students to apply skills they
already have in new situations.
• INTEGRATION – requires students to apply
many different skills to a large task, such as book
reports, projects, persuasive writing.
Source: NCLB website – Homework Tips for Parents
115
Guideline #4
From a presentation by Dylan Wiliam - Assessment and Learning
“The test of a successful education is not the
amount of knowledge that a pupil takes away from
school, but his appetite to know and his capacity to
learn. If the school sends out children with the
desire for knowledge and some idea about how to
acquire it, it will have done its work. Too many
leave school with the appetite killed and the mind
loaded with undigested lumps of information.”
Sir Richard Livingstone, President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, 1941
116
Guideline
#4
Source:
Sandy
Wilson,
Rutherford
High School,
Bay District
Schools, FL
33
117
Guideline #4
Sample Assessment Plan
Formative Assessment Plan for Unit I
Task
Method(s)
Strategy(ies)
Scoring Tool
Assessor
Role Play Practices
Performance
Assessment
Performance
Rubric
Self/Peer
Quiz(zes)
Clickers
Selected Response
Marking Scheme
Teacher
Brochure (draft)
Performance
Assessment
Product
Rubric
Peer
Brochure (near final)
Performance
Assessment
Product
Rubric
Selt/Peer
Summative Assessment Plan for Unit I
Task
Method(s)
Strategy(ies)
Scoring Tool
Assessor
Role Play
Performance
Assessment
Performance
Rubric
Teacher
Test(s)
Paper and Pencil
Selected Response
and Constructed
Response
Marking Scheme
Teacher
Brochure
Performance
Assessment
Product
Rubric
Teacher
118
Guideline #4
Guideline for Grading
4. Sample student performance – don’t include all
scores in grades.
a. Provide feedback on formative “performance” – use words, rubrics or
checklists
b. Include information only from varied summative assessments to
determine grades.
Issue
Concern
Sources of information
Tests? Quizzes? Homework?
How much data?
Variety – paper/pencil, performance
assessment, personal communication
Traditional
Standards-based
From formative and
summative assessments
From summative assessments only
119
Guideline #5
Assigning a Final Grade
• Pretend that you are a biology
teacher and have given two
midterms and a final exam
covering knowledge of the
content. Additionally, you have
kept track of performance on
laboratory work for the term. The
scores you have recorded for one
student are on the handout. You
have told the students that one half
of their final grade comes from
tests and the other half from labs.
What final grade would you give
this student? Why?
120
Guideline #5
35121
Guideline #5
• The key question is, “What information provides
the most accurate depiction of students’ learning at
this time?” In nearly all cases, the answer is “the
most current information.” If students
demonstrate that past assessment information no
longer accurately reflects their learning, that
information must be dropped and replaced by the
new information. Continuing to rely on past
assessment data miscommunicates students’
learning.
– Guskey, T., (Ed.), Communicating Student Learning:
The 1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA,
1996, pg. 21
122
Guideline #5
• “In effective schools one of the most
consistent practices of successful
teachers is the provision of multiple
opportunities to learn….The
consequence for a student who fails to
meet a standard is not a low grade but
rather an opportunity, indeed the
requirement – to resubmit his or her
work.”
– Reeves, D., “Standards Are Not Enough: Essential
Transformations for School Success,” NASSP Bulletin, December,
2000, pg. 11
123
Guideline #5
• “…final grades should never be
determined by simply averaging
the grades from several grading
periods (e.g., adding the grades
from terms one through three and
dividing by three).”
– O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to
Standards, Second Edition, Corwin, 2002, pg. 135
124
Guideline #5
“. . . students often say, “I have to get a B on the
final to pass this course.” But does that make
sense? If a final examination is truly
comprehensive and students’ scores accurately
reflect what they have learned, should a B level
of performance translate to a D for the course
grade?”
Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning: The 1996
ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 21
125
Guideline #5
Bob
Assessment
Of
Learning
Gwen
Roger
Pam
Time
126
Guideline #5
“In such cases we recommend three
general guidelines:
1. Give priority to the more (most) recent
evidence;
2. Give priority or greater weight to the most
comprehensive forms of evidence (e.g., rich
performance tasks);
3. Give priority to evidence related to the most
important learning goals or expectations.
Adapted from Guskey and Bailey, Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for
Student Learning, Corwin, 2001, 141-142
127
Guideline #5
Staff shows tenacity
to get students to
meet standards.
Montgomery County Public Schools MD - one of several
requirements in their ‘effort-based intelligence model.’
128
Guideline #5
“Educators generally recognize learning as a progressive and
incremental process. Most also agree that students should have
multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning. But is it
fair to consider all these learning trials in determining students’
grades? If at any time in the instructional process
students demonstrate that they have learned the
concepts well and mastered the intended learning goals,
doesn’t that make all previous information on the their
learning of those concepts inaccurate and invalid? Why
then should such information be “averaged in” when
determining students’ grades?”
Guskey, T.R., “Computerized Gradebooks and the Myth of Objectivity,”
Kappan, 83 (10), June 2002, 777-778
129
Guideline #5
Guideline for Grading
5. “Grade in pencil” – keep records so they can be
updated easily.
a. Use the most consistent level of achievement with special
considerations for more recent evidence of achievement.
b. Provide several assessment opportunities (method and number).
Issue
Concern
Changing Grades
Second-or-multiple-chance assessment/recent or
all information
Traditional
Standards-based
Everything marked is
included
Multiple assessments
recorded as average,
not best
More recent information
Reassessment without penalty
130
Boy, I just shiver every time she goes for the red pencil. 131
Guideline #6
• “Averaging falls far short of providing
an accurate description of what
students have learned. … If the
purpose of grading and reporting is to
provide an accurate description of what
students have learned, then averaging
must be considered inadequate and
inappropriate.”
– Guskey, T., (Ed.), Communicating Student Learning: The 1996
ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, pg. 21
132
Guideline #6
• “Educators must abandon the
average, or arithmetic mean, as the
predominant measurement of
student achievement.”
– Reeves, D., “Standards Are Not Enough: Essential
Transformations for School Success,” NASSP Bulletin, December,
2000, pg. 10
133
Guideline #6
Letter to the Editor
Toronto Globe and Mail
October 15, 2003
• Whenever I hear statistics being quoted, I
am reminded of the statistician who
drowned while wading across a river with
an average depth of three feet.
• Gordon McMann
Campbell River, B.C.
134
Guideline #6
Three Questionable Practices
Three practices that deserve attention
(because of) their potentially harmful
effects are:
1. averaging scores to determine a grade;
2. the use of zeros; and
3. taking credit away from students or
lowering their grade because of
behavioral infractions.
Adapted from Guskey and Bailey, Developing Grading and
Reporting Systems for Student Learning, Corwin, 2001, 139
135
Guideline #6
Total
89
89
89
20
89
89
89
20
89
89
752
Mean or Average =
Median =
136
Guideline #6
Interim Report Card Grade
What grade would you give the
student? Why?
The actual grade the student
received was 68.1%. What is
your reaction to this grade? Was
this grade a fair reflection of the
student’s overall achievement?
If the zero was not included the
grade would be 81.6%. Would
this be a fairer reflection of the
student’s overall achievement?
137
138
Guideline #6
The Average
• What are the pros and cons
of using the “mean” score
to give final grades?
• What are some promising
alternatives to the
“average” that we should
experiment with, given the
arguments in the video?
139
"Shouldn't my grade average be adjusted for inflation?"
140
Guideline #6
• “Grading by the median provides
more opportunities for success by
diminishing the impact of a few
stumbles and by rewarding hard
work.”
– Wright, R., “Success for All: The Median is the Key,” Kappan,
May, 1994, pgs. 723-725.
141
Guideline #6
“Grades based on averaging have meaning only
when averaging is done on repeated measures of
similar content. Teachers average (marks for)
tests on fractions, word problems, geometry and
addition with marks for attendance, homework
and notebooks - and call it Mathematics. (Similar
examples could be given for other subjects.)
In Mathematics we teach that you cannot average
apples, oranges and bananas but we do it in our
grade books!”
R. Canady, Workshop presentation, ASCD Annual Conference, Washington,
D.C., April 1993
142
Guideline #6
• “Data should be used to
INFORM not determine
decisions.”
– Management Consultant, The Hay Group, personal conversation
with Ken O’Connor, January, 2002
143
Guideline #6
• “There are three general sources of
assessment evidence gathered in
classrooms:
• Observations of learning,
• Products students create, and
• Conversations – discussing learning with
students.
• When evidence is collected from three
different sources over time, trends and
patterns become apparent…This process is
called triangulation.”
– Davies, A., Making Classroom Assessment Work, Classroom
Connections International, Merville, B.C., 2000, pg. 35.
144
Guideline #6
Triangulation of Evidence
Observations
What is the student
able to do?
What does the student
know?
Conversations
Products
–Adapted from Davies, A., Making Classroom Assessment Work,
Classroom Connections International, Merville, B.C., 2000, pg. 35-38 and 41.
145
Guideline #6
The Effect of Zeros
101 Point Scale
90-100
89-89
70-79
60-69
<60
11
10
10
10
60
95
85
75
65
0
64 (D)
95
85
75
65
50
74 (C)
146
"Well, I suppose you're right, Arnold, zero is a perfect score."
147
Guideline #6
What grade should this student get?
101 Point Scale
95
0
0
0
85
0
0
80
0
0
260
Mean
26
Letter grade F
5 Point Scale
4
0
0
0
3
0
0
3
0
0
10
1.0
D
148
149
Guideline #6
The Effect of Zeros
• What do we think are the
pros and cons of putting a
zero in the grade book for
missing work?
• What might be an
alternative, given the
argument presented in the
video?
150
Completion Contract
Guideline #6
Student Name:
Course:
Missed Work - The following work has not been handed in:
Original Due Date:
Reason – Please indicate why the work is late.
Next Steps – What will you now do to get this work completed?
New Date for Submission:
Once this new dat e is nego tiated, the stud ent agrees to subm it this work on that date or rece ive a
mark of I for Incomplete. The student and parent acknowledge that I’s may lead to the teacher
determining tha t there is insu fficien t evidence for a grade and that th is is the equiva lent of a failing
grade.
Student Signatu re:
Parent Signatu re:
Teacher Signa ture:
Figure 6.7
Adopted by Ken O’Connor from original wo rk by Jennifer Perkin, Catholic School Board of Eastern On tario
How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards, Skyli ght Professional
Developme nt, Glenview, IL, 2003, 152.
37
151
Guideline #6
• “The use of an I or “Incomplete”
grade is an alternative to assigning
zeros that is both educationally
sound and potentially quite
effective.”
– Guskey, T. and J. Bailey, Developing Grading and Reporting
Systems for Student Learning, Corwin Press, 2001, pg. 144
152
Guideline #6
Credit
• What is the best policy for
grading homework to ensure
that students know it counts, but
without corrupting the
achievement grade?
• When should results be counted
in figuring the grade and when
should they not be counted (i.e.,
serve as feedback only, not part
of the final grade)?
153
Guideline #6
Assessment Plan
• An ASSESSMENT PLAN should start with the desired
results (learning goals, standards) then the
• Summative assessments that are going to be used to
determine whether the students ‘knows and can do’, next
should be the
• Diagnostic assessment(s) that are going to help to
determine the what and the how for teaching and learning,
then should come the
• Formative assessments that are going to help students
achieve the learning goals and that are going to cause the
teacher to adjust teaching and learning activities.
– Homework, quizzes ----------- tests
– Practices ------------------------ performances
– First draft, second draft ------ product(s)
154
Guideline #6
Assessment Plan
•
•
•
•
A vital part of the ASSESSMENT PLAN is
How much evidence and
Which assessments
Are critical to being able to determine
student achievement/grades, e.g., there will
be 9 summative assessment opportunities, of
which at least six, (including the third, fifth,
and ninth) must be done.
155
Guideline #6
38
156
Guideline #6
Guideline for Grading
6. “Crunch” numbers carefully – if at all.
a. Avoid using the mean; consider using median or mode.
b. Think ‘body of evidence’ and professional judgment –
determine just don’t calculate grades.
Issue
Concern
Number Crunching
Method of calculation/Role of professional
judgment/effect of zeros/missed work/# points
on scale
Traditional
Standards-based
Many formula and
calculations
Always use means
(average)
Limited and careful “number crunching”
Use of median/mode
157
Guideline #7
Five Quality Standards for Assessment
•appropriate and clear target
•clear purpose
•method(s) matched to target (and purpose)
•appropriate sample of the learning domain
•control for all sources of interference
Based on the ideas of Rick Stiggins, ATI, Portland, OR
158
Guideline #7
Common Sources of Bias and Distortion
Problems that can occur with the student
Lack of reading skill
Emotional upset
Poor health
Lack of testwiseness
Evaluation anxiety
Problems that can occur with the setting
Physical conditions – light, heat, noise, etc.
Problems that can occur with the assessment itself
Directions lacking or unclear
Poorly worded questions/prompts
Insufficient time
Based on the ideas of Rick Stiggins
159
Guideline #7
PROBLEMS WITH SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
Problems that can occur with multiple choice tests
More than one correct response
Incorrect scoring key
Incorrect bubbling on answer sheet
Problems that can occur with essay questions
Student lacks writing skill
Scoring criteria lacking or inappropriate
Inaccurate scoring
Problems that can occur with performance assessment
Scoring criteria lacking or inappropriate
Inaccurate scoring
160
Based on the ideas of Rick Stiggins
Guideline #7
What does FAIR mean ?
“All students are given an equal opportunity to
demonstrate what they know and can do as part of the
assessment process.
Adaptations to assessment materials and procedures
are available for students including
but not restricted to
students with learning disabilities, to allow them to
demonstrate their knowledge and skills, provided that
the adaptations do not jeopardize the integrity or
content of the assessment.”
Adapted from Manitoba Education and Training at
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/metks4/curricul/assess/aepolprod/purpos~2.html
161
Guideline #7
“Nothing of consequence would be lost by getting rid
of timed tests by the College Board or, indeed, by
(schools) in general. Few tasks in life — and very
few tasks in scholarship — actually depend on
being able to read passages or solve math problems
rapidly. As a teacher, I want my students to read,
write and think well; I don't care how much time
they spend on their assignments. For those few jobs
where speed is important, timed tests may be
useful.”
Howard Gardner, “Testing for Aptitude, Not for Speed,” New York Times,
July 18, 2002
162
Guideline #7
Guideline for Grading
7. Use quality assessment(s) and properly record
evidence of achievement.
a. Meet standards for quality assessment – e.g., clear targets, clear
purpose, appropriate target-method match, appropriate sampling, and
avoidance of bias and distortion.
b. Record and maintain evidence of achievement and behaviors –
portfolios, tracking sheets, etc.
Issue
Concern
Quality
e.g., fairness-time on tests
management/tracking system(s)
Traditional
Standards-based
Huge variation in
assessment quality
Often stored only in
teacher’s head
Derived from quality assessments
Data carefully recorded
163
Wow! Multiple choice improved my guessing skills.
164
Guideline #8
Motivating Students Towards Excellence
Rick Stiggins believes student-involved
assessment is the route to follow. It includes:* student involvement in the construction of
assessments and in the development of criteria
for success;
* students keeping records of their own
achievement and growth through such strategies
as portfolios; and
* students communicating their achievement
through such vehicles as student-involved
parent conferences
165
Guideline 8
“. . . the best thing you can do is make sure your
grades convey meaningful, accurate information
about student achievement. If grades give sound
information to students, then their perceptions
(and) conclusions about themselves as learners,
and decisions about future activity will be the
best they can be.”
Brookhart, S., Grading, Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, Columbus, OH, 2004, 34
166
Guideline #8
Guideline for Grading
8. Discuss and involve students in assessment,
including grading, throughout the
teaching/learning process
a. Ensure that (age appropriately) students understand how their grades
will be determined.
b. Involve students in the assessment process, in record keeping and in
communicating about their achievement progress.
Issue
Concern
Student Understanding
Clear criteria
How much student involvement
Traditional
Standards-based
Teacher decides and
announces
All aspects discussed with and understood by
students
167
39
168
42
169
43
170
Stiggins, et al,
Classroom
Assessment
for Student
Learning, ATI,
Portland, OR,
2004, 328
48
171
Stiggins, et al,
Classroom
Assessment
for Student
Learning, ATI,
Portland, OR,
2004, 329
172
49
Stiggins, et al,
Classroom
Assessment
for Student
Learning, ATI,
Portland, OR,
2004, 330
173
50
Continuums for Grading
Standards
Assessment Methods
Achievement
separate from
work habits/ skills
Achievement/
non-achievement
factors mixed
Summative only
Everything ‘counts’
More recent
emphasized
All data cumulative/
similar significance
More than one
opportunity
One opportunity only
Professional
judgment based on
evidence related to
Published performance
standards
High quality assessment
Student
understanding
and involvement
Median/Mode
Mixed quality
Assessment
Calculation only
Mean
Teachers’
idiosyncratic
standards
Poor quality
assessment
Teacher centered
with unclear targets
174
51
Grading “Top Ten” Reference List
(in alphabetical order)
Canady, R. and P. R. Hotchkiss, “It’s a Good Score: Just a Bad
Grade,” Kappan, September 1989, 68-71.
Guskey, T. R. and J. Bailey, Developing Grading and Reporting
Systems for Student Learning, Corwin, 2001
Kagan, S., “Group Grades Miss the Mark,” Educational
Leadership, May 1995, 68-71.
Kohn, A., “Grading: The Issue is not How but Why,”
Educational Leadership, October 1994, 38-41.
Marzano, R.J., Transforming Classroom Grading, ASCD, 2000
175
Grading “Top Ten” Reference List (cont.)
O’Connor, K., “Guidelines for Grading that Support Learning
and Student Success,” NASSP Bulletin, May 1995, 91-101.
Stiggins, R., Student-Involved Classroom Assessment, 3rd
Edition, Merrill, New York, 2001, 409-450
Wiggins, G., “Honesty and Fairness: Toward Better
Grading and Reporting” in Guskey, T. R. (Editor),
Communicating Student Learning: The ASCD Yearbook, 1996,
Alexandria, VA, 1996, 141-177.
Willis, S., “Are Letter Grades Obsolete?” ASCD Update,
September 1993, 1-4.
Wright, R. G., “Success for All: The Median is the Key,”
Kappan, May 1994, 723-725.
176
The three C’s of motivation:
COLLABORATION
(Learning Together)
CONTENT
(Things Worth Knowing)
CHOICE
(Autonomy in the Classroom)
Kohn, Alfie, Punished by Rewards; The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive
Plans, As, Praise and Other Bribes, Houghton Mifflin, New York, 1993, 212-221
177
“. . . the primary purpose of classroom
assessment is
to inform teaching and improve learning,
not to sort and select students or to justify a
grade.”
McTighe, Jay and Ferrara, Steven, “Performance-Based Assessment in the
Classroom”, Pennsylvania ASCD
178
Grades
should come from
a
body
of
evidence
+
performance + guidelines
standards
i.e., professional judgment
NOT
just number crunching
179
To evaluate or judge is to reach
“a sensible conclusion that is
consistent with both evidence
and common
sense”
Robert Linn, CRESST
180
To be truly standards-based in grading
one MUST
 separate achievement from behaviors
 not include formative assessment, and
 emphasize more recent achievement.
Remember: there are NO right grades,
there are only justifiable grades!
181
What is Insanity?
Doing the same thing over and
over and expecting things to
improve.
Attributed to Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
182
Grading/R eporting Refl ections
Reflect on what you have learned and a pply it to the grading a nd reporting
practices in you r school and/or distri ct.
Practices reinforced:
Possible revisio ns in grading/reporting practices:
Actions:
Any o ther comments:
53
183